66 brilliant British hotels for weekend breaks

The Old Coastguard, Mousehole, Cornwall

The Old Coastguard, Mousehole, Cornwall

What is
it?
A Victorian hotel on a narrow street close to the harbour in
Mousehole, on Cornwall's south-west coast. The property faces the
sea and St Clement's Isle. A large bar and garden at the back have
all the requisite features for long Sunday lunches in summer and
for lingering autumn afternoons, with a real fire in the grate, big
tables for convivial gatherings and windows affording views of
sun-dappled water. At the foot of the garden there are steps to a
beach with a rock pool.

Behind the
scenes
This is the third project for brothers Charles and Edmund Inkin,
who own The Felin Fach Griffin inn near Abergavenny and The
Gurnard's Head at Zennor. Last year they bought The Old Coastguard,
which, with 14 rooms, is their largest property to date. Most of
the bedrooms and the bar, hallways, landings and exterior have now
been done up.

Sleep
Beds are soft and comfy, linen beautifully crisp, colours an
inoffensive if unadventurous palette of butterscotch and cream. It
is simple pub accommodation rather than boutique-hotel standard:
expect a plain bathroom with a shower attachment over the bath
rather than a sexy wet room. There are family rooms, and others
have balconies or double-aspect views.

Eat
The Inkins have a knack for finding talented young chefs prepared
to quit big-city life. The Old Coastguard's kitchen is overseen by
Bruce Rennie (formerly at Martin Wishart in Edinburgh), who also
heads up operations at The Gurnard's Head, and sous-chef Tom
Conway, who has come west from Nobu. Seafood is the mainstay of a
brasserie-style menu which includes plaice, pollock, mussels with
coriander and lemongrass, grilled sardines, and Newlyn smoked
salmon (with beetroot risotto at lunch, scrambled eggs at
breakfast). That said, there is no shortage of Cornish-reared meat,
and there are decent pints and yummy wines.

Who goes
there?
Locals dropping in for a pint of Skinner's Heligan Honey. Regulars
who stayed pre-takeover continue to visit, mostly out of season (in
high summer it's colonised by families).

What is there to
do?
The coast-path walk to Lamorna Cove is fantastic. Cyclists are
spoiled for a choice of routes. If a storm rolls in, watch it from
the conservatory with a coffee, then visit Penlee House Gallery and
Museum in Penzance to see a collection of works by Newlyn School
artists.

We like
The morning sunlight glittering on the water, the granite cottages
that hug the hillside on which the village is built, and the
dog-friendly vibe.

We don't
like
The colour scheme is too similar to The Gurnard's Head, and
therefore dated. There is a lack of decent showers and the
toiletries are screwed to the wall, gym changing-room-style.